


Plunge

by Abyssia



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Sharing Body Heat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:34:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28417695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abyssia/pseuds/Abyssia
Summary: Linny's been acting weirder than usual, and then he manages to nearly drown to death in the fishing pond, and now Hapi needs to make sure he's actually okay.
Relationships: Hapi/Linhardt von Hevring
Kudos: 6
Collections: Hapi x Linhardt





	Plunge

Linny has always been weird, but not really in a bad way. He doesn’t seem to fear her, which is nice, and he’s always looking after her. Even if it’s only to protect himself; Hapi is still grateful.

And maybe, because he is always watching her, that’s why Hapi has started watching him.

Linny has been acting strange in a whole new way, and one that actually makes Hapi kinda worried.

Ever since the last mission—this awful Affair at Remire Village, Linny just hasn’t been acting himself. Usually she would see him in the library, or napping in the garden. More often than not, the professor invites them to eat together. But lately, she hasn’t seen him. And today, Linny has just been standing on the fishing pier, staring into the water for hours.

Hapi, herself often liking to just watch the sunset reflect in the water, can understand the appeal, but for half a day?

She glances at him, her lips pressed together, considering maybe even walking over to talk to him; when suddenly.

“Linny—!” Hapi yells, as Linhardt suddenly begins to waver on his feet and then immediately collapses off the pier and into the water.

Hapi doesn’t hesitate; she peels off her boots and runs to the pier diving in after him.

Even Linny never falls asleep standing up, so he must have passed out, and so that means he may not wake up when submerged in water.

Thankfully, the spindly mage didn’t sink too far and she manages to grab him. She hoists him to the surface and gasps for air; Linhardt doesn't do the same.

“Hey! Someone!! A little help here?!” She gasps over the surface of the water while frantically kicking and reaching to grab for the pier.

Lin is limp as she slowly drags them both along the pier and eventually reaches the stone lip of the pond and manages to hoist him up out of the water.

“Hapi!”

Balthus’ booming voice sounds out and his sturdy hand reaches down. She grabs on and lets herself be pulled out. Once she’s up, Balthus grabs Linhardt too.

They lay him out flat on the stone pavement, a small crowd starting to gather around them.

Hapi crouches over Linhardt and immediately starts tapping his face, moving his head to the side to try and clear his airway.

“Oh shit, uhh—“ Balthus stammers. “I’ll try to find a healer—Hang in there!” He says, but just before he can run off, Linhardt suddenly starts to cough and gasp, straining to get upright.

“Linny!” Hapi yells, lurching forward to brace him, relief suddenly coursing through her.

Linhardt coughs some more and then squints over at Hapi.

“Hapi?” He manages between coughs.

“Linny! Are you alright?”

“Uhg...what happened?”

“I dunno! You just suddenly collapsed and fell into the water!” Hapi frowns and then looks up to Balthus. “Help me carry him, okay? He needs to get out of these wet clothes.”

Balthus nods and then stoops down to lift Linhardt into his arms.

“Come on, let’s get you to the infirmary,” Hapi mutters.

“No—“ Linhardt suddenly protests.“I’m fine. Just take me back to my room.”

Hapi raises an eyebrow, but glances over and Balthus shrugs. “It’s fine, Baltie. I’ll...take care of him.”

Balthus complies, carrying the sodden Linhardt back to his first floor bedroom. Balthus leaves them there, saying to call if they need anything.

Hapi wordlessly gets to work, peeling off his jacket and pants. Already he is starting to shiver.

His eyes are squeezed shut and his teeth chatter.

Hapi shrugs and takes off the rest of his wet clothes and quickly wraps him in dry blankets. Linhardt appears to have slipped out of consciousness again, but his breathing is regular. It is the middle of winter, and the chill is clearly getting to him already. And so Hapi does what is the most natural in her mind. Since Linny said he didn't want to go to the infirmary, she would just have to make sure he doesn't die himself.

Hapi pulls off her own clothes and crawls under the covers with him. His skin feels hot but clammy. Hapi wraps her arms around him and pulls him flush and close. In any other circumstance, she would surely be blushing furiously. But at the moment, the pleasant feeling of his bare skin is the least important thing in the face of Linhardt's health.

Despite her having thought him to be asleep, Linhardt's arms suddenly pull tighter around her.

“Linny?” Hapi asks. “Are you okay? Do you even remember what happened?”

“Not clearly if I am to be honest.”

“You fell in the water and—“

“I gathered that much.”

Hapi’s face flushed. He clearly doesn’t seem bothered by the fact that their naked bodies are currently curled up together. What he wants to say must be truly important.

“Linny, what happened? Did you just fall asleep?”

“I’m not sure, perhaps. I don’t think I was particularly sleepy...”

“So you just...passed out?”

“I suppose so.”

Hapi presses her lips together. “When’s the last time you ate?”

“I can’t recall.”

Hapi grunts. “Linny, come on. What’s going on that you forgot to eat?”

Linhardt’s eyes then darken. “I suppose I, simply do not have much desire to eat as of late.”

Hapi pulls back a little and examines him. “You don’t look like you’re gonna die of hypothermia anymore. I’ll get you some dry clothes,” she offers, pushing herself up and tucking the blanket around Linhardt’s shoulders. It is at this moment that he only now seems to realise that she had been naked this whole time.

His eyes widen and his face flushes, she can see his eyes move frantically but failing to avoid drinking her in.

“Come on, didn’t you notice when we woke up?”

“Yes I did, however. Feeling your body heat while I am completely delirious; and seeing your naked body while I am actually lucid are two entirely different matters.”

Linhardt’s eyes are still lingering on her, and Hapi feels her face heat up. But as before, now is not the time to dwell on this. “Can I borrow some of your clothes? Mine are soaked.”

“Sure,” Linhardt replies, closing his eyes and settling back under the covers.

Hapi rummages around and finds a long nightgown which she tosses over to Linhardt. She then pulls on a white shirt and a spare pair of his baggy uniform pants.

Linhardt sits up, grabbing for the garment and pulling it on over his head.

Hapi then pauses, considering now what she should do. Linny seems physically fine, he can go the the infirmary if something comes up; he’s clearly lucid and conscious, but something stops her from leaving immediately.

She walks back over to the bed and sits down on the edge, silent for a few moments.

“Hapi, I have been...troubling you greatly, haven't I?”

“Huh?” She asks, rather bewildered. “What, you mean by falling into the water and needing to be saved??”

“No. I have been, rather insistent in trying to get you to side in my research lately. I will now cease that behaviour.”

Hapi raises an eyebrow. “Why all of a sudden?”

“Although, I do want to unravel the mysteries of your crest, it does seem unlikely that I will actually fix your curse anytime soon.”

“So what, that’s fine? Like I said, I’m used to disappointment.”

“Do you find me to be disappointing?” Linhardt asks, far too earnestly.

“I...” hapi glances away. “You’re fine, Linny. You’re always trying to help me out, so, it’s actually kind of nice to be around you.”

“Is that so...?”

“Yeah,” Hapi shrugs.

“That pleases me to hear. I would no be able to forgive myself if I hurt you in any way.”

Hapi’s head then whips around to look at Lin, his sudden dramatic turn causing her concern.

Linhardts hands then clench over his lap. "To tell you the truth, I have not been able to push what we saw in Remire from my mind," Linhardt admits.

"Yeah? Go ahead, you can tell me," Hapi gently encourages.

Linhardt glances to her and then back to his hands. "I realise now why I have been meeting the resistance that I have. And now I—" he pauses again. "If I am so insistent on achieving results for my research that I even so much as inconvenience those around me, what exactly makes me different from the likes of Solon?"

Hapi grimaces. "Linny, what the hell are you saying?"

"Solon was conducting an experiment and did not care who was hurt. Even if it was for the sake of knowledge, that was clearly unforgivable!" Linhardt glances at Hapi again. "And yet here I have been, thinking others to be selfish when they did not agree to my exams."

"Linny," Hapi says, suddenly drawing a little closer to him. "Trust me, you're fine. Sure, you were a little annoying, but your goal is to help others, yeah?"

"I suppose it has become that way," Linhardt admits. "But I would be lying if I said that my initial interest in Lysithea and Marianne was truly altruistic."

"But you helped me, before you even knew I had a crest."

Linhardt meets her eyes. "I…suppose I did."

Linhardt is no longer shivering, but he still seems far from fine. Hapi pulls even closer, back onto the bed with him and wraps her arms around him. Linhardt hesitates for a moment, but then lifts his arms to hold her in return. "It's fine, Linny. You helped me, so I'm helping you now, okay?"

Linhardt nods against her neck. "I simply hope, Hapi, that I have done nothing to jeopardise the time we can spend together."

Hapi lets out a laugh. "Linny, I said you're fine," Hapi pulls back, meeting his eyes for a moment before glancing away again in embarrassment. "Just…rest or something, okay? I'll hang around a bit more, make sure you're okay."

"I thank you, Hapi."

"Don't mention it," she shrugs.

There's clearly still a lot going on in that head of his, but Hapi at least feels like she understands at least a bit more. It's a little scary, but she's not scared of Linny himself. Linny, actually makes her feel safe, and cared for. So of course, she wants to do a little of that in return if she can. That's all, nothing more.


End file.
